American Horror Story: Coven premiered last night with its first episode “Bitchcraft” and it doesn't disappoint. You can even say it's magical – it’s about witches. But seriously it has everything; there's blood, gore, mystery, and sex. Not to mention an introduction to a dynamic and powerful cast and story. I’m digging it. I can’t wait for the rest of the season.
“Bitchcraft” is relatively simple, at least compared to previous episodes of American Horror Story. It introduces us to the world of witchcraft through Zoe (Tassia Farmiga), when she accidently kills her boyfriend (by trying to have sex with him) and is shipped off to Mrs. Robideaux's School for Exceptional Young Ladies (Does this remind anyone a bit of X-Men?) where she meets the rest of her classmates: Madison, who has telekinesis, Nan, who is a psychic, and Queenie, who is a human voodoo doll. I really hope there are some good human voodoo doll scenes to come.
We are also introduced to Sarah Paulson playing Cordilla, the head of the school, who believes witches should hide their powers. However, her mother, played by Jessica Lange, has a different philosophy. She also seems to be obsessed with youth, which I’m sure will play a part later in the season. Oh, and she is a supreme, meaning she has a ton of powers.
Then there is the creepiest and most blood-thirsty character: Kathy Bates as the as Madame LaLaurie. The episode starts out in 1854 New Orleans where Madame LaLurie shows off her torture chamber, complete with people who have eyes and mouths sewn shut, parts of their faces cut off, and other mutilations. It’s hard to watch at some points, but she meets her demise in the form of poison. However, since this is AHS, there is a plot twist and it turns out she is buried underground but alive. I can’t wait to see what is in store for her character this season. So far Kathy Bates is playing the part wonderfully.
Something that I love already about this season of AHS is the presence of all these strong female characters. So far it seems that any character that holds any actual power is female. Although we do meet Kyle (Evan Peters), the nice frat boy, he dies when Madison flips over their bus after being date-raped. His death comes as a bit of a shock to me since Even Peters is supposed to be in the rest of the season. But when they reveal scenes from the upcoming season, we see Even Peters all sewn up. I’m intrigued.
AHS: Coven’s first episode is genuinely great. It has everything I'm looking for in a creepy show about witches. I had very high hopes going in and they were met and even exceeded at times. I can definitely detect influences from X-Men, True Blood, Harry Potter, and history. But they are just that influences. It never feels like a spin off. I can’t wait to see what surprises this upcoming season has in store for us.
WRAP UP:
Creepiest scene: Madame LaLaurie's torture chamber.
Best use of magic: Madison flipping over the bus. It is sweet!
-- Great setup for the upcoming season.
-- How scary and creepy will the show get?
-- Will everyone survive?
